THE LEADER, HIS DRIVER AND THE DRIVER'S WIFE

Cinemavixion Review

Nick Broomfield's unflinching gaze turns towards the volatile world of South African apartheid-era politics in 'The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife.' This 1991 documentary masterfully dissects the disintegration of the far-right Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) through the lens of its charismatic yet deeply unsettling leader, Eugene Terre'Blanche. Broomfield, who also appears in the film, doesn't shy away from the bizarre and often darkly comic dynamics within Terre'Blanche's inner circle, particularly focusing on his driver, J.P. Meyer, and Meyer's wife, Anita. The film offers a potent, albeit disturbing, portrait of extremism, revealing the personal frailties and ideological absurdities that underpin such movements. Its raw, vérité style immerses the viewer in a complex socio-political landscape, making it a compelling and essential watch for understanding the period.